Calhoun Academy hosted a reading fair for their fourth through twelfth grade English classes October 21. This is the first year the winners are given the opportunity to compete at district level.
Those advancing to district are fourth graders Alyssa Thweatt and Abby James, fifth graders Jensyn Cain and Carson Spratlin, sixth graders Bella Nichols and Creed Stafford, seventh grader Lexi Bollinger, tenth grader Sara Faye Washington, and twelfth graders Macey Chrestman and Riley Dotson. District will be on December 1. Each district competitor is required to dress as a character from their book to present their book and board to the judges.
Some of the books presented were well known novels such as Charlotte’s Web, The Notebook, and A Walk to Remember, but some were unique and different. Jensyn Cain read Misty of Chingeatea, a book about a young boy that grew up on an island and wanted a wild horse.
He raises money from helping his neighbors to buy a young foal that he tames to win a race. After winning, he turns the horse back out. Bella Nichols read Snow and when asked to tell about her book, she answered, “It is about an albino, blind girl that doesn’t believe in God. She has to move to a new town and is able to use her blindness to save her friends stuck in a cave. The girl gets saved by the end of the book.”
Charlie Denton read A Sister More Like Me, a book about two girls that wanted a sister more like them. Creed Stafford read one of the Diary of a Wimpy Kid books showing how boy’s friendships can be tested and complicated when a girlfriend enters the picture. Sara Faye Washington read My Sister’s Keeper, a book about a girl that is born to be used to keep her sister alive.
Casey Moss read The Wedding, a sequel to The Notebook. When asked to tell about her book, Casey answered, “The couple from The Notebook had a daughter that is now been married for twenty-nine years.
Her husband forgets their anniversary and almost causes a divorce, but he begins trying to make her fall in love with him again by taking her out on dates and cooking for her. Their daughter tells them she is getting married, and the wife begins planning the wedding, not knowing she is really planning a service to renew her vows with her husband on the day of their thirtieth wedding anniversary.”
Many of the students enjoyed getting to go on new adventures, experience new things, find out interesting facts, and get caught up in the love stories of others while reading their books. They also enjoyed getting out of class to present their books and boards to the judges.